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Marzena STC & QTC
Moderator
Staff member
Good question Steph. Food safety culture can be difficult to measure directly, but you can measure behaviours and indicators that reflect it.
Some practical things to monitor:
- Near-miss reporting: An increase in near-miss reports is often a positive sign, as it shows employees feel comfortable speaking up.
- Staff turnover and absenteeism: High levels may indicate low engagement or morale, which can affect food safety culture.
- Repeat non-conformities: If the same issues keep recurring, it may suggest that corrective actions are not embedded or staff do not fully understand their importance.
- Short staff surveys: Ask 3- 5 simple questions each quarter, such as "I feel comfortable reporting a food safety concern" or "Management listens when I raise food safety issues." Using a 1- 5 scale allows you to track trends over time.
- Management floor walks: Speak with employees during routine walkarounds, ask open questions about food safety, and record recurring themes rather than relying only on observations.
- Training effectiveness: Monitor quiz results, observations, and whether staff consistently follow procedures after training.
The key is to monitor trends over time rather than relying on a single measurement. A combination of objective data and employee feedback provides a much clearer picture of your food safety culture. Hope this helps
Some practical things to monitor:
- Near-miss reporting: An increase in near-miss reports is often a positive sign, as it shows employees feel comfortable speaking up.
- Staff turnover and absenteeism: High levels may indicate low engagement or morale, which can affect food safety culture.
- Repeat non-conformities: If the same issues keep recurring, it may suggest that corrective actions are not embedded or staff do not fully understand their importance.
- Short staff surveys: Ask 3- 5 simple questions each quarter, such as "I feel comfortable reporting a food safety concern" or "Management listens when I raise food safety issues." Using a 1- 5 scale allows you to track trends over time.
- Management floor walks: Speak with employees during routine walkarounds, ask open questions about food safety, and record recurring themes rather than relying only on observations.
- Training effectiveness: Monitor quiz results, observations, and whether staff consistently follow procedures after training.
The key is to monitor trends over time rather than relying on a single measurement. A combination of objective data and employee feedback provides a much clearer picture of your food safety culture. Hope this helps